Amazing Newport

The state of Rhode Island is one of the New England states. It is known for its beaches and shoreline and is home to several large cities. Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island. It is the place for the well-known annual sail regatta the America's Cup.

Visitors to Newport enjoy taking the three-and-a-half-mile-long Cliff Walk. The walk goes along the eastern shore of the city and offers spectacular views of the shoreline. You can see lovely villas on the cliffs above. There are wildflowers and rocks of various colors. At the southern end, the walk passes by only a few feet from a sudden drop of over 70 feet. It finally ends at several major city streets.

The Marble House was designed by Richard Morris Hunt. It was built in 1892 and given as a birthday gift by William K. Vanderbilt to his wife Alva. The house was modeled after the Petit Trianon at Versailles in France. It has ceiling murals, chandeliers, carved and gilded woodwork, and a grand staircase.

The ballroom is exquisite and was inspired by the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles and is almost completely encrusted in gold. A China teahouse was added to the grounds in 1913 and is visible from the Cliff Walk.

Ocean Drive is a popular Newport scenic tour where you can see the shoreline and the impressive mansions that New Yorkers built at the end of the 19th century. These were the "summer cottages" where they could enjoy the cooling breezes blowing from the sea. Ocean Drive has been designated a National Historic Landmark District.

You'll pass by many landmarks like King's Park with the famous statue of General Rochambeau, Ida Lewis and New York Yacht Clubs, and Fort Adams State Park.

At Hammersmith Farm, President Kennedy had his wedding reception.

Other places of interest include the U.S. Coast Guard Station, Castle Hill Inn & Resort, Brenton Point State Park, and Gooseberry Beach.

You'll enjoy seeing Newport Harbor, Rhode Island Sound, Narragansett Bay, a number of small ponds and coves, a salt marsh, and miles of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Newport Art Museum was founded in 1912. It includes the main building and a gallery in the historic John N.A. Griswold House. The permanent collection has over 2,300 works of American art from the late 19th century to the present day. There are also special exhibitions from the permanent collection, art from other museums, and private collections.

The Museum of Newport History is located downtown housed in the Old Brick Market building. It has been declared a National Historic Landmark and features the history of Newport from pre-colonial times to the present. There are about 10,000 objects among them fine and decorative arts and much more. This museum also has displays in the 1730 Seventh Day Baptist Meeting House, the 1696 Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House, and the 1699 Great Friends Meeting House.

No trip to Newport would be complete without visiting the great mansions of the Gilded Age. There are a series of self-guided audio tours. The tour lets you see and learn about personal letters, diaries, records, and oral histories. You can get to know the personal stories of the people who lived in the mansions and the staff that served them.

The Elms was built for entertaining and to showcase art. The stairway in the foyer is supported by marble columns and rimmed by a scrolled iron railing. It is surrounded by magnificent gardens.

Rosecliff was the home of lively society hostess Tessie Oelrichs. It was designed by Stanford White and is based on Louis XIV's Grand Trianon at Versailles. The ballroom is the largest in Newport and has been the setting for such movies as "The Great Gatsby" and "True Lies".

Rough Point is the oceanfront mansion of Doris Duke who was a notable art collector, heiress, and philanthropist. The house is still decorated as in her time with French furniture, art, antique Chinese porcelain, and Flemish tapestries. The house and estate are open to the public for guided tours.

The highlight among the mansions is the one owned by Cornelius Vanderbilt The Breakers. This is a 70-room mansion sitting atop of a cliff. The house is a gem inside and outside and open to tours.

Chateau Sur-Mer was built for William S. Wetmore in 1852. The Wetmores gained their fortune from the Chinese trade. The house is impressive and has gone through various renovations. There is a soaring 45-foot central hall with stained glass highlights.

The National Museum of American Illustration is located in the Vernon Court Mansion. It celebrates the "Golden Age" of American illustration between the 1870s and the 1950s. It is home to the largest collection of Maxfield Parrish originals and the second-largest Norman Rockwell collection. The Federal-style house has a collection of period furnishings and decorative pieces. The period garden is lovely.

Kingscote Is one of the earliest of the “summer cottages” built here and home to Southern planter George Noble Jones. Later it was sold to a Chinese trade merchant. This is a Gothic Revival-style home. Here you can see Colonial American details combined with Asian motifs and modern materials. The house is furnished with Victorian furnishings, oriental paintings, rugs, and porcelain.

Hunter House is a Georgian-style house built in 1748 for ship-owner Jonathan Nichols. It has period furnishings and art.

Fort Adams State Park is located at Fort Adams Point at the entrance to the Newport Harbor. This is a popular park known for being the place for the annual Newport Jazz Festival. It also hosts the Newport Folk Festival and is home to the Eisenhower House which is the former residence of the Fort's commander and today home to the Sail Newport Sailing Organization. You can have panoramic views of the Narragansett Bay. Visitors can go swimming, have a picnic, go boating, and enjoy other recreational activities.

It is also home to Fort Adams, the second-largest fort in the U.S.

Touro Synagogue was built in 1763 and is the oldest North American synagogue building and the only synagogue in America from the colonial era. It is still an active orthodox synagogue. The interior has twelve Ionic columns supporting the balconies. The columns represent ancient Israel's twelve tribes and each column is made from a single tree. There are many historic exhibits, including a letter from George Washington to the Hebrew Congregations of Newport. It has been designated a National Historic Site.

Trinity Church resembles the traditional New England village church. The tiered spire is a Newport landmark. Inside are box pews, a vaulted ceiling, and the gallery where slaves worshipped beside the organ loft. The organ dating from 1733 was once played by George Frideric Handel. It was originally the Church of England and you can still see a crown above the organ and paneling in the shape of the Union Jack above the back pews. The church bell was given by Queen Anne and is thought to be the first church bell that was rung in New England.

Thames Street is the center of action in Newport. It is a lively street with shops, bars, restaurants, museums and lovely historic homes. There are many bed and breakfasts here and it provides access to the marinas and Newport Harbor. It is pleasant to relax at the outdoor cafes.

Take a walk along Bowen's Wharf and see the brick walkways and granite quays. There are many historic buildings. It was once a busy maritime wharf and today is a waterfront shopping and entertainment area. It is the place of many city festivals and celebrations.

The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport's historic Casino. It celebrates and honors players and other contributors to the sport of tennis. The facility also includes tennis courts, an indoor tennis court, and a court tennis facility. The 1880 Casino was built as an exclusive resort and held the first tennis championship rganized by the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association in 1881. The added tennis museum has a huge collection of memorabilia and artifacts.

Castle Hill Lighthouse is located at the end of historic Ocean Drive. It was completed in 1890 and is still active today and not open to the public. Several steep footpaths from the Castle Hill Cove Marina and Castle Hill Inn can reach it. It is 34 feet tall and registered on the National Register of Historic Places.